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Thursday, July 14, 2011

Extreme Couponing 101-How to Shop Stores

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How To Shop Stores


There are many ways to save and even earn money while shopping at CVS. For those of you who are new to shopping at CVS, here are all the tips you will need to start saving today!

We will start with the Weekly Ads. You can get the Weekly Ad online, in front of the store or in your local Sunday paper. The Ad lists all sale items and items that will produce Extra Care Bucks and the quantity needed to earn them.

What are Extra Care Bucks (ECB)? These are dollars that you earn when making certain purchases and can be used on any future CVS purchase. Your ECBs will print out on your receipt so make sure to always check before throwing away your receipt. There are weekly and monthly ECB. You will also earn 2% back in ECB quarterly on your purchases which will print automatically at the end of the sales period.

You do not have to get all the items at the same time but will not earn the ECB until you fulfill the entire purchase.


In order to start earning ECBs, you need to have an Extra Care Card. You can get a card simply by asking a cashier for a form or by signing up online. If you fill out the form in-store, you will get your card to start saving immediately. However if you sign up online, it will take about a week to get your card in the mail. Remember to register your account online to receive special offers by email or in your mail box.

In addition to ECB, there is also CRT (cash register tape) coupons that print automatically on your receipt. You can also get these CRTs by scanning your Extra Care Card at the red price scanner usually located in the front of the store. These are not listed in the Weekly Ad and just print randomly. These are pretty general, for instance, $2.00 off of Huggies Pull-ups.

These CRTs are considered CVS Store coupons and can be combined with manufacturer's coupons (MFC).  This is called "Coupon Stacking" and here's what it looks like:

Buy (1) Huggies Pull-ups Jumbo Pack @ $9.00
Use (1) $2.00 CRT
Use (1) $3.00 MFC
Total $4.00 after using both coupons

Making money at CVS can be very simple! Almost every week there is a promotion where you will earn the same amount of ECB that you spend. For instance:

Colgate Toothpaste $2.99
Earn $2.99 ECB wyb 1
Use $1.00 off Manufacturer's coupon
Total = $1.00 overage after coupon and ECB

Couple other ways to save at CVS:

Email coupons - remember to sign up online to get these.

B1G1 Free sales - you can use two MFC coupons on a buy-one-get-one-free sale.
For example:

Max Factor Mascara $7.99 B1G1 Free
Use (2) $3.00 off MFC
Total = $1.99 for both

As with anything, "practice makes perfect" so don't be discouraged if you make a few mistakes. You'll be shopping like a pro soon enough.





You can find really great deals at Walgreens but it does take practice. Just keep in mind these few things and it will be very simple for you.

RR means Register Rewards. These are basically a coupon/catalina that will print at the register to use towards a different transaction.
In Store Coupons: These can be found on Walgreens Website or in the Ad located at the front of the store. (You can stack mfg coupon)
Walgreens Coupon Booklet: These are put out monthly and are located at the front of the door near the store ads. (You can stack mfg coupon).

How to put to use (only an example):

You have two tubes of Crest Toothpaste listed at $1.50 each and you'll receive a $1 RR (Register Reward)

Buy 2 Crest Toothpaste $1.50 Each
-use 3/6 PG Save $1/1 (use 2 coupons from the P&G Sunday coupon insert on March 6th)
Out of Pocket: You receive 2 tubes for $1.00
Receive: $1 in Register Rewards
(Basically you receive FREE)

What can you do with this Register Reward? You CAN NOT turn around and do the same deal. The reason being is you CAN NOT use a RR on a product in the same family that is offering a RR. Example, if you turned around and did this same deal, it would cancel the $1 RR. You WOULD NOT receive one back. Same true on any RR and P&G deal.

So here is what you could do:

Buy 1 Colgate Toothpaste $1.50
-use 3/6 SS Save $1/1 (Smart Source Sunday coupon insert on March 6th)
-use $1 RR (Register Reward (your received from 1st transaction)
-----------------------------------cash register will beep--------------------------------------------------

*a Register Reward (RR) counts as a coupon, so you have to have equal or greater amount of items in order to use coupons and Register Reward (RR)

Buy 1 Colgate Toothpaste $1.50
-use 3/6 SS Save $1/1 (Smart Source Sunday coupon insert on March 6th)
-use $1 RR (Register Reward (your received from 1st transaction)
Grab a item that is $.50 or more
Final Price, FREE

or

Buy 1 Colgate Toothpaste $1.50 w/in store coupon (IVC)
-use 3/6 SS Save $1/1 (Smart Source Sunday coupon insert on March 6th)
-use in store coupon
-use $1 RR (Register Reward (you received from 1st transaction)
Grab 2 items that are $.50 or more
Final Price, FREE


The one thing I love about Walgreens is that you can go back to the store and keep doing the same deals! The things I don't like is majority of the time it is really hard to find the items in store, they DO NOT allow rain checks and your Register Rewards don't always print. If this happens, just make sure you don't purchase the products or you request a manager. A manager can print one for you.

















There are many ways to save and even earn money while shopping at Target. For those of you who are new to shopping at Target, here are all the tips you will need to start saving today!

We will start with the Weekly Ads. You can get the Weekly Ad online, in front of the store or in your local Sunday paper. The Ad lists all sale items.

 Here are the basics about Target

Manufacturer Coupons:
Manufacturer coupons will be applied after the price match is made.

Target Coupons:
Target coupons will be applied before the price match is made. If the competitor price is still lower than the price after the Target coupon has been deducted, the ad match can be adjusted to match the competitor's price.

Combining both a Target and Manufacturer Coupons:
The Target coupon will be applied before the price match is made. If the competitor price is still lower than the price after the Target coupon has been deducted, the ad match can be adjusted to match the competitor's price. Once the price match is made the manufacturer coupon will be applied.

Reminder: They accept one manufacturer coupon and one Target coupon for the same item unless either coupon prohibits it. 

You can get Target coupon at the following places:
-Target.com
-Coupons inserts-periodically they will put them in the coupon inserts from your local newspaper
-Target booklets - They will come in the mail

One common question asked if Target matches other store prices.  The answer is YES!  Here are a few tips and the full policy is here.
-Always go to the Customer Service Desk to do all price matches
-Pricing for products on Target.com may vary from Target stores and from the Target Weekly Ad. We do not match the price of our online merchandise with the price offered by Target stores or another company, and Target stores do not match the price of our online merchandise.

A few signs that you will want to look for when shopping at Target.
-Sale  
A temporary price reduction advertised Sunday-Saturday and lasting up to 2 weeks. 
-Temporary Price Cut 
A temporary price reduction lasting 1-8 weeks. 
-Price Cut 
A permanent price reduction advertised for up to 90 days. 
Clearance 
A permanent price reduction often on discontinued inventory.  Clearance prices are good while supplies last.

One important thing to remember is Target will reduce the amount of the coupon if it exceeds the amount. 


One thing to do when shopping at Target is to take your own bag.  You will receive $.05 per bag that you use and you will be helping the environment at the same time.

For more questions about the Target coupon policy you can see the full policy on Target.com

As with anything, "practice makes perfect" so don't be discouraged if you make a few mistakes. You'll be shopping like a pro soon enough.









I know it gets confusing shopping from store to store, so I thought I would do a little Wal-Mart Shopping 101 for you.

First, become familiar with their coupon policy, print it off and take it with you! Remember their ad match guarantee! Go here for details. This can go a long way at stretching your dollars and shopping at just one store (Target ad matches too!)  One of my favorite additions to Walmart’s coupon policy is the following: “If coupon value exceeds the price of an item, the excess may be given to the customer as cash or applied towards the basket purchase.”

Take note that prices vary from store to store. So when we give you a "deal" on the site, know that it's close, but might not be exact. Make sure and check out the latest deals and arm yourself with Walmart coupons on their website at Grocery Wiz and/or manufacturers coupons.

If you have problems with cashiers accepting coupons that you are using properly according to their policy, your first course of action is to talk to the store manager. If you are still not being helped, contact Walmart Corporate and explain the situation. Often corporate will contact the store manager to ensure proper protocol is being taken.

Take your price match ads to the grocery store with you and put all your price match products in a certain section of the cart so you don't get confused.

Walmart's Customer Service number is 800-WAL-MART.

Here are more tips for shopping at Walmart:

*Get a subscription to All You Magazine orpurchase a copy at your local Walmart.
*Keep your eyes peeled for those Roll-Back prices.
*Read through and print a copy of Walmart’s coupon policy to have with you while you shop.
*Be sure to stop by the travel section to make use of coupons that have no size exclusions.
*Pick an off time to shop to avoid the crowds.

Other Savings Options at Walmart:
Follow Walmart on Twitter- they tweet out deals daily
Take advantage of mobile alert deals via Walmart
Take advantage of the Free Samples Walmart provides

Also, if you are a frequent Walmart shopper you might consider the Walmart Discover Card.  I don't like to promote credit cards, but if you use it responsibly you can earn up to  1% cash back on all purchases. You can also save 3 cents per gallon at Walmart gas stations around the U.S.





Do you love Dollar General? When you walk in they have everything you need in an easy to find store. It is not overwhelmed with a million other items that are not on your list or with a million other customers who you have to work your way around just to get a simple item like a tube of toothpaste.

A few things I found useful over the years when shopping at Dollar General are:
  • Sales Flyers only come out every other week; they are found in the Smart Source insert and of course in store.  Sales, when offered run from Sunday through the following Saturday.
  •  From time to time Dollar General offers in store coupons, these can be stacked with manufacturer coupons for extra savings.
  •  When Dollar General offers a coupon, such as $5 off any $25 purchase, you can still use your manufacturer's coupons. The key is to be certain the cashier scans the Dollar General coupon first, then your coupons.
  •  My biggest challenge when using coupons at Dollar General is buying in quantity.  For example, about a month ago, MySpringfieldMommy found 9Lives moist food on sale, 5 cans for $2.00.  She purchased 60 cans (she has three cats).  Her plan was to use a few coupons for $1.00 off 12 cans.  When she got the register she told the cashier that she had coupons and that she had to scan each can individually, she ignored me and did one scan of the can and then entered the quantity.  When it was time to enter the coupons she was only able to scan one since the computer only recognized one item being sold.  Long story short, she refused to void the transaction because there was a line behind me and therefore refused my coupons, needless to say I was less than impressed and vowed to share this with you so that the same problem does not happen again. 
  • Know the stores policy.  This week I contacted Dollar General and they kindly shared this information with me:

Dollar General is pleased to accept Manufacturer’s Coupons and Dollar General Store Coupons at any of our more than 9,300 stores.  These coupons come from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to, newspapers, magazines, print-at-home (internet), direct mail, product packaging, and in-store coupon boxes.
Our coupon requirements are as follows:

Dollar General Coupon Policy
Dollar General accepts Manufacturer’s and Dollar General issued coupon (Including internet coupons) that meet these requirements:
         Coupons must be original (no photocopies)
         Coupons must have a scan-able barcode or valid promotion code
         Coupons must have a printed expiration date
         Coupons can be redeemed only for items sold at Dollar General, and can be redeemed only for the exact same item (package weight, size, etc.)
         Coupons for free items are only accepted if a purchase is required to get one free
         Maximum of two coupons per item. One coupon must be a Manufacturer’s Coupon and the second coupon must be a Dollar General Coupon as long as neither coupon states that it is not valid with other coupons
Dollar General will NOT accept coupons that:
         Are from other retailers
         Are expired
         Are internet coupons without a scan-able barcode and/or promotion code
         Contain the combination of an invalid barcode that won’t scan and promotion code that the register will not accept
         Are for “free” items, unless a purchase is required (i.e. Buy one get one free is acceptable)
         Do not have a “remit to:” address on the coupon
In addition:
         “Cash Back” will not be issued if the value of the coupon is greater than the purchase price of the item.
Example: If you have a valid coupon for $2 off a qualifying item that is $1, you will not receive cash back.  However, if you have additional purchases on the same transaction that “extra” $1 will be applied as a “credit” toward your other purchases. 
         We do not multiply (double or triple) coupon values
         We do not match competitor prices
To sign up for Dollar General promotional discounts and offers, please visit http://www.dollargeneral.com/ and click on the "Join the Savings Zone" link in the upper right corner of the page. We also invite you to like us in Facebook!













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